


So that's the truth

by GoForGoals



Category: Football RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-08
Updated: 2013-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-22 20:20:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 16,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/917625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoForGoals/pseuds/GoForGoals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey, sweetheart, I wish you a good morning, too”, Marco tried to joke, but he sounded too much like the insomniac he already was.<br/>“God, stop the small-talk and tell me what’s wrong, please”, Mario urged.<br/>Marco breathed deeply. “I made a decision”, he finally said.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. So that's the truth - I - "Coming-out"

**Author's Note:**

> I know that this is just a romantic illusion but I hope one day it will become reality in some way or another. I'm not willing to accept that people have to live a dual life simply because they are not straight and want to be a football pro, too. 
> 
> This is my first fanfic and I am not a native english speaker, so please be kind. And please leave this fic here, thank you. 
> 
> I love all of the Gotzeus stuff here! <3

Marco crawled out of the bed after a long, sleepless night. He was totally exhausted, all in a mess and in a state between desperation and daringness. He picked up his phone, texting to a well-known number.

“when can i call u? be sure ur alone.”

Just seconds later, he got the reply:  
“what’s wrong? ur scaring me”  
He texted: “need to talk asap”

Instead of an answer, his phone ringed. “Marco, fuck, what’s up? You’re way too serious for a Monday morning”. Mario could not hide that he was scared to death. He didn’t allow himself to even think about the fact that Marco could break up with him. 

“Hey, sweetheart, I wish you a good morning, too”, Marco tried to joke, but he sounded too much like the insomniac he already was.  
“God, stop the small-talk and tell me what’s wrong, please”, Mario urged.  
Marco breathed deeply. “I made a decision”, he finally said.

Mario felt like he would burst out in tears every second. “No, please don’t tell me…” he stuttered. 

“It’s not about you. I love you more than I ever did, Mario. But the fact is – I can’t hide my feelings anymore. I can’t go out and pretend that I love girls, that I will have a girlfriend again, that I will marry and have children. I don’t want to lie anymore.”  
Mario swallowed hard. He was relieved and concerned all at once. “What does this mean…?”

“I’m going to talk to Jürgen and to my teammates. Maybe even to Joachim and the press. But don’t worry – I’m not going to talk about you. We’re still good friends like we have ever been and when somebody will ask me, if… I will not implicate you, I promise. See, they are all thinking that Ann Kathrin and you are the perfect couple, so that’s not your business.”

“I’m afraid anyway”, Mario mumbled, a million thoughts running to his mind. 

“Afraid of what?”, Marco asked. “Afraid of the fact that everybody might know that your best friend isn’t straight? Afraid of the shitstorm that might touch you, too?”

“Afraid of losing you”, Mario admitted. “What if the paparazzi will hunt you? What if the fans will knock the stuffing out of you? And what if… you find someone who doesn’t lie about his feelings, too?”  
“You won’t lose me if you don’t want to lose me, sweetheart. But – I don’t have the strength to fake a relationship with a girl anymore, because I love you the way I do. And one day, the media will ask why I am still a single for such a long time. “  
“But they will ask you the same if you are telling them that you love boys!”, Mario claimed. “I am scared, Marco and I… I can’t do the same like you.”

“I don’t want you to do the same. But I can’t go on like that. It has worked for us over a year now and it will work in the future, too. We will find a way, even if I am under some kind of …observation. Just be prepared that some people will ask you questions. Tell them that you have known it since a while, but that you are happy with your girlfriend. The rest is up to me” , Marco told him. 

“I don’t understand why you want to do this”, Mario replied helplessly. 

“One day you will”, Marco answered firmly.

“So what’s up next? When are you going to make it …public?”, Mario stuttered. 

“I will tell you”, Marco replied. “Hey, don’t be afraid. Call me anytime you want. I miss you. And I love you”. 

“Love you, too”, Mario whispered almost inaudible. They hang up, both all mixed up. 

\----

Marco slept better this night than all the nights before. Now it was on Mario to be sleepless. Yes, he was panicking, freaking out, he even cried for some time. He considered calling Marco again but he knew his friend – once he made a decision, he could not put him off from doing so. When the sun rose, he was a nervous wreck. Then he grabbed his phone. When the person at the other end of the line answered, he just stated: “Ann Kathrin? Could you come over?” 

\---

A few days later, Marco texted him again. 

“interview with kicker tomorrow at 12. be prepared. love u.”

Mario texted back: “talked to Jürgen & the boys?”

“made it formal and distressed them a bit but wasn’t kind of a surprise :)” 

“u should have told me” 

“my issue, forgot?”

“did they ask about me?”, Mario answered – but he didn’t get a reply anymore. 

\---

The next morning, Marco got dressed for one of the most important days in his life. He was anxious, but certain about his decision. 

A few hours earlier, Mario had got dressed, too. He had made some phone calls before driving to the airport. 

It was 12.15 o’ clock when Marco dropped the bombshell. The same time Mario left the taxi. Just a few moments later, the reporter hugged Marco, congratulating him on his courage. The same time Mario entered a building. 

The reporter asked Marco some final questions, the last one was: “You don’t have to answer – but do you have a boyfriend?” The moment Marco wanted to negate, a trembling yet clearly audible voice from behind stated: “Yes. He does.”


	2. So that's the truth - II - "A promise"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "All the time Marco had been the stronger one of them, the one who tried to protect Mario. Even when Mario told him that he will leave Dortmund and everything else behind. Even when he was gone, even when all the photos of Mario in the red jersey showed up. And now he was ruined."
> 
> Marco is finally allowed to be the weaker one.

Marco had just turned into a pillar of salt. He felt like he was caught in a rollercoaster, unable to get out or even think any clear thought. Minutes ago, he has told a reporter that he isn't straight and seconds later his lover - the one who has left him behind - turned out of the blue? He couldn't get his head around it. 

The reporter looked from one to the other deeply irritated, but he was the first to gain his voice back. “Hi Mario”, he came and met the brunett. They shook hands and the reporter asked Mario how things were going. Both of them started a meaningless conversation, throwing a glance at Marco every now and then.

It was Mario who broke the silence between them. He went over to Marco and rested his hand on the blond’s shoulder. “I’m sorry”, he said nervously, “I should have told you.” Marco looked at him in a mixture between shock and incredulity. “What did you do?”, he whispered. “I neither can go on like that”, Mario answered, giving Marco an implied hug.

The reporter smiled at them and came back to business: “So what about the interview? Should we make an …addendum?” “No!”, Marco said sharply while Mario replied : “Yes!” They discussed for what seemed like an eternity. Luckily, the reporter had enough professional honour that he didn’t want to make the story too big. He knew that it was a huge deal anyway so he did his best to take his responsibility and to avoid becoming lurid. In the end, they decided to publish an interview without naming Mario initially. 

After everything was fixed, the reporter took leave and they were alone. Mario tried a crooked smile on Marco, not knowing if the latter will kiss him or punch him straight in the face. But neither one thing nor the other one happened. Marco didn’t say a word but started crying almost without a sound.

All the time he had been the stronger one of them, the one who tried to protect Mario. Even when Mario told him that he will leave Dortmund and everything else behind. Even when he was gone, even when all the photos of Mario in the red jersey showed up. And now he was ruined. Mario sat next to him, taking the blond into his arms. Marco was frozen but after a while he gave in. "I'm so fucking done", he sobbed on the brunett's shoulder. "We will cope with that", Mario consoled. "Come on, I saw your car standing outside. Handle me the key, I'll drive us home", he added. 

It was the first time Marco smiled a little bit, just because Mario said "us" and not "you". "When do you have to fly back?, he asked him. "Tomorrow morning", Mario replied, bringing another smile to Marco's face. "Sounds good", the blond stated, "so we have enough time to talk and... dunno", he smirked, feeling slightly revived. "By the way - what the hell are you doing here?! You should be in Munich with Pep, Fabian, Ann-Kathrin or whomsoever!" "No, I should be here with you", Mario replied, putting another smile on Marco's face, this time brighter than the one's before.

"God, Mario, do you realize what you just did?", Marco claimed as they walked outside to his car. "I could ask you the same, sweetheart. And it's too late for second-guessing", the brunett replied. "Whether we can live the way we want to or we'll elope", he joked. "I would run away with you no matter where", Marco replied seriously. "Good that we cleared that up", Mario laughed. "I would run away with you, too. But I hope we won't be forced to buy a one-way-ticket to no man's land. For the moment, let's just run away to your flat". 

Marco threw the key to Mario who caught it without effort, demonstrating again that they were a perfect match. "Cool, I always wanted to drive an Aston Martin like Bond", the brunett claimed excited. "Fuck Mario, you're kidding", Marco answered in disbelief. "Our whole life will be turned upside down in a few days and you are excited about a car?" "Naaah, I'm still excited about you", the latter mumbled with a deep look into the blond's eye while they got into the car. Both shut the doors and then they finally kissed. But unlike to earlier times, it was more than just a kiss: It was a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has developed some kind of own dynamics... I never planned to do more than a one shot but it seems that there are more ideas in store. 
> 
> Not much plot, but I liked to play with the characters of both. Anyway, I hope that you'll give the second chapter a chance, too. :-)


	3. So that's the truth - III - "Unbelievable"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you afraid of your own courage?", Mario asked back. "Yes and no", Marco replied honestly, "I am sure we did it right. Even if we want to look in the mirror each morning. But I can't imagine what's going to happen next. Will it be accepted or not? Will WE be accepted or not?"
> 
> Marco asks question after question and Mario finds a good way to stop him.

Marco opened the door to his flat after Mario had driven them home. The brunett has used the full capacity of the Aston Martin and Marco feared more than once that they won't survive the next minute. But in the last two hours more had happened than in the last two months so he let Mario step on the gas and hoped for the best. And the best was obvious: Almost 24 hours with Mario in front of him. 

The blond threw himself on the big couch, feeling like he has just endured a marathon. Mario let himself fall next to him. "Hand on heart, who is aware that you are here?", Marco asked. Mario blushed. "Eh, my ...mom." "Your mom?", Marco replied amused. "Yeah, I told her some time ago, that we... you know... are in love." Marco grinned. "And what did she say?" "I guess what all mothers in the world would say. That the most important thing is that I am happy. And if I am happy with you, everything will be fine." "Cute", Marco laughed, "because my mother said the same". "Seems like we have the blessing of our families at least", the brunett stated with a smile. 

"And what about... Ann-Kathrin?", Marco asked hesitantly. "Threw her out", Mario replied. "You did what?", Marco jerked. "I gave her a golden credit card in compensation. So I am free now, but maybe broke", he joked. "God Mario, I can't believe all this. I fucking can't believe it", the blond stated while he kicked his shoes off.

Anxiously, he continued his questions. "What about your teammates? What about the fans? What if we are out on the pitch? If we play against each other? What about Die Mannschaft?" "Are you afraid of your own courage?", Mario asked back. "Yes and no", Marco replied honestly, "I am sure we did it right. Especially if we want to look in the mirror each morning. But I can't imagine what's going to happen next. Will it be accepted or not? Will WE be accepted or not?"

"Hey, stop asking questions for just a second", Mario silenced him with a kiss, stroking his hair affectionately. Marco gave in willingly. "I missed you so much", he mumbled, running his fingers all over Mario's body. "Then we shouldn't waste time anymore", the latter whispered, pulling Marco to the bedroom. The brunett was plucked to his heartstrings when he noticed a photo of Marco and himself on the blond's nightstand. Marco blushed a little bit but he was soon distracted from Mario's kisses which became more and more passionate. 

"I wonder if you will ever stop attracting me that much?", Marco murmured breathlessly as he helped Mario to take off his shirt. "Same here", Mario whispered, pulling Marco closer into his arms. They slumped onto the bed, once again intoxicated with love. And then there were no more questions - just answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just hoping that you like the third chapter. :-)


	4. So that's the truth - IV - "A nightmare"

Marco woke up in the middle of the night. Drowsily he tried to feel for Mario, but the other half of his bed was empty and cold. He was wide awake in a second. Where has Mario gone? The blond shivered, fearing again that he was left behind. It seemed that he developed some kind of personal trauma on this, but he didn't care for the moment. His only urge was to find Mario. He grabbed his boxers before he hastily climbed out of the bed.

There was a small shimmer of light from his living room as he recognized Mario sitting on the couch, enwrapped in a blanket. It was a load off his mind to see him there. "Sunny, what's up?", he asked the brunett softly. "Are you sleepless? Come back to bed, it's cold out here." Mario looked at him desperately. "I... I regret my decision", he told Marco, his voice broken. The blond swallowed. "We can still call the reporter and try to cancel everything", he suggested. "I'm not talking about the interview. I'm talking about ...Munich", Mario stated before he burst out in tears. "Jesus, Marco, I fucked it up. I fucked everything up!" 

Marco didn't know what to say. "I thought you were happy with Bayern Munich?", he asked carefully. "No, I am far away from being happy there!", Mario sobbed. "Why haven't you told me?" Marco sat down beneath his lover, wrapping his arms around his body. "Come on, spill it out". 

"I am so damn alone there! We've got no team spirit, everybody goes his own way right after training. We're rivals, not team mates. I don't like the way Pep treats me. And I miss you, I miss you like hell! I miss Dortmund and my family. What's got into me? And what should I do now?" Marco breathed deeply. "I'll get us two cups of tea and then we'll see what we can do."

He rummaged in the kitchen, just to get some time to think about Mario's revelation. One part of him wanted to yell at him that he had warned him from the first and that it was his own fault. But the other part took pity on him. He had no idea how to console Mario and he realized all of a sudden that there were much more problems to be fixed than he had ever imagined. He breathed deeply again, took the tea and walked over to Mario who looked even more desperate, if that was possible. 

"We need a plan", Marco started, trying to be as reasonable as he could. "A plan? Nice try", Mario replied hopelessly. "Yeah, a plan. Or do you want to sit on my couch forever?" "Eh... yes?", Mario answered with a weak grin. Marco punched him in the side. "We are two of the best football players in the world, we beat Real Madrid up, we can deal with everything, do you understand me? Let's don't loose nerves. You don't have to stay in Munich forever if you don't want to. We'll make the best out of it. Do you have your calendar here?"

"Sure, all inside my smartphone", the brunett answered. "Let's match our schedules. Are there any days you won't have training or a match? We could find a cosy little hotel in the middle between Munich and Dortmund...", Marco tried to cheer his boyfriend up. "With all the paparazzi in the room next to us", Mario answered. "Hey, I am well trained on undercover-missions", Marco joked. "First and foremost you are mad", the brunett replied. 

"Can I ask you something", Mario continued. "Why do you do all this? Why are you there for me, even when I ...trample on your feelings? I don't deserve you and you still stick by me. Why?" "Now YOU are asking too much questions when the answer is so simple", the blond replied. "I love you, no matter what." He blushed, trying to stop the conversation at this point. So he pulled his lover up from the couch. "Shall I show you again?" 

Hours later, Mario was sleeping like a baby in Marco's arms and it was the blond who was still awake. He watched his boyfriend breathe, full of love and full of fear. The sun rose when he finally drifted off to a short and fitful sleep. In his nightmare, Mario was gone and never came back.


	5. So that's the truth - V - "The boys"

The next morning they bid farewell. Both made it short, but Marco had a little surprise for Mario. “Open your hand and close your eyes”, he told the brunett. Mario did so and felt a cold, metallic item in his palm. It was a key. “What’s that?”, he asked Marco. “A key to my flat. To …our flat. Come here whenever you want”, the blond replied. Mario embraced him like he never wanted to let go. “I will do so as soon as possible, I promise. We will text and phone? The interview will be published the day after tomorrow? Guess there will be a lot to talk about…”, he whispered in Marco’s ear. “Yeah, probably…” the blond whispered back. “I love you, don’t you ever forget. And we will meet with Die Mannschaft latest. If Joachim will nominate me for the team after he read everything…” he added. “Sure he will”, Mario claimed. “Don’t worry. I love you.” They kissed goodbye before Mario went to the airport.  
  
Marco felt all alone the moment the door was shut. He had a few hours left before the next training session begins so he picked up his mobile and made a phone call. “Kevin…? Are you at home? Can I come over?”  
  
After a few minutes’ drive, he arrived at Kevin’s flat. His friend opened, asking about the interview. “How do you feel?”, he wanted to know. “It was ok, the reporter was very understanding. But then something unexpected happened”, Marco stated, “somebody turned out of the blue.” “Was it Jürgen?”, Kevin made a guess. “Eh, no. It was, eh, Mario”, Marco admitted. “You’re making a fool out of me”, Kevin shouted. “No. He told the reporter that he is my …boyfriend”, Marco added. Kevin was speechless. “Come on, Marco, don’t take the piss out of me.” “No, it’s true. We, eh, spent the night together and he is at the airport now.” “What the hell… Marco!”, Kevin was on the brink of freaking out. “But there’s more to it than that”, the blond added hastily, “he is unhappy in Munich.” “It’s his own fault”, Kevin yelled, “he’s a dumbass!” “Yes, he probably is… But he’ll need our help”, Marco stated. Kevin sighed. “And what do you suggest?” “Dunno”, Marco replied. “First of all, let’s wait until the interview is published, that will turn everything topsy-turvy anyway. I will talk to Jürgen and the boys later before training”, the blond continued. “Good luck”, Kevin said sarcastically.  
  
When the players met for the next training session, Marco cleared his throat. Jürgen asked him about the interview and the blond provided information. His teammates regarded him with favour until he told them that “somebody joined him”. Suddenly he wasn’t able to spill the name out, so Kevin filled in for him. “It was Mario”, he stated. The boys looked dumbfounded. Mats was the first to speak again. “Wait, just to make that clear – we are talking about Mario-left-us-all-fucking-behind-Götze?” Kevin gave a speedy answer: “We are talking about Mario-told-the-reporter-he-is-Marco’s-boyfriend-Götze”. All at once there was a babble of voices. Marco heard the blood singing in his ears. He barely noticed that somebody pulled at his arm, tugging him away from the others. It was the trainer.  
  
He guided him to his small office and pushed him down on a chair. “Let’s start again”, he told Marco. “What has happened?” The blond was anxious but the trainer looked at him encouraging. “I’m on your side Marco. I knew that there was something going on between the two of you. Maybe I have noticed before you yourself realized it. But if I want to help you, I need to know what’s up.” Marco and Jürgen missed the whole training session. The blond confessed everything; he couldn’t stop talking because the trainer listened to him patiently. “I’m proud of you”, he admitted at the end. “We stand behind you and if anybody won’t do so, he will have a big problem with me. Just don’t take it out on the pitch, because then _you_ will have a problem with me.” Marco nodded and the trainer hugged him. “Things are never as bad as they seem, Marco.”  
  
The training session was done and his team mates came over to talk to him or just embrace him. He felt like he was imbedded in a big family and he was more than grateful for that. Nevertheless, he just wanted to see Kevin afterwards, so they went out to have some drinks. Marco was confident when he finally arrived at his flat around midnight. He wondered because he saw a flare at his window and couldn’t remember that he left the lights on. The moment he stepped inside the corridor and gazed at his living room, he froze. He dropped his bag and grabbed his mobile. “Kevin, fuck, turn and come back. I’m in trouble.” “Did you see a ghost or what happened?”, his friend replied. “Kind of”, Marco stammered. Then he tiptoed to his couch, curving around empty bottles of beer. Outstretched on the pillows laid a familiar body, sleeping and definitely drunk: It was Mario.


	6. So that's the truth - VI - "Painkillers needed"

“Stop it, you are hurting him!”, Marco yelled at Kevin. The latter smacked a wet towel in Mario’s face. “He deserves it”, Kevin answered untouched, “besides – _you_ thought that he has an alcohol intoxication. _I_ thought that he has lost his last spark of mind.” “We need to inform somebody that he is here before he is missed in Munich”, Marco claimed. “If you want to tell me that you got the mobile number of Pep Guardiola, I will never talk to you again”, Kevin replied. “No, no, I don’t have it.” “Then call Ann-Kathrin”, Kevin stated. “He broke off with her”, Marco answered. “What?! Eh, doesn’t matter anyway”, Kevin replied, smacking the towel once again in Mario’s face who didn’t show any sign of consciousness. “Got it”, Marco shouted, “I will call Fabian”. He walked over to his bedroom, grabbing his mobile.  
  
Kevin was alone with Mario when the latter came back to life. He groaned, looking white as a ghost. “I feel queasy…”, he murmured, “where is Marco and what are you doing here?” “Marco is saving your ass once again”, Kevin hissed. “Listen: If you will put him into trouble just one more time I’ll come to Munich and kill you with my own two hands. Get yourself together and your ass in a plane before you leave more blood on the carpet. You are not helping him if you are getting tanked up, you selfish douchebag!” Mario groaned. “Yeah, you may be right… Jesus, do you have a headache pill or maybe a dozen?” Kevin shook his head. “By the way – hats off that you finally got the balls to stand by him.”  
  
Marco came back, deeply worried. “Sunny, are you ok?”, he asked. “No, he isn’t. He has a hangover”, Kevin sneered at the brunett. “The laugh is always on the loser”, Mario replied before he added: “Eh, I feel like vomiting”. “Perfect moment for me to leave”, Kevin stated. “Thank you, bro”, Marco embraced him. “Yeah, thank you”, Mario added before he rushed to the bathroom.  
  
“Need some help?”, Marco asked carefully. “Painkillers… glass of water… and a hug”, Mario mumbled. The blond let himself drop on the bathroom tiles next to Mario. He took the head of the brunett in his lap and caressed his hair. “I’m sorry”, Mario whispered. “Shhhh”, Marco calmed him down. “If you feel better, we'll move to the bed.” “To whom did you talk on the phone?”, Mario asked. “To your brother. He will clear everything in Munich. I guess he will explain it with some kind of family problems”. “Which isn’t far away from the truth because you _are_ my family”, Mario admitted slightly. “I’m feeling more like an emergency worker at the moment. Come on, let’s go to bed. I’ll get you some more painkillers”, the blond replied.  
  
They clung to each other the whole night. When the pills worked on Mario, they discussed the next steps. Mario promised to clean the air in Munich without losing his head again and Marco told him about his conversation with the trainer. Furthermore they remembered the last year – the moment they fell in love, the moment they first kissed, the moment they first made love. And now another first time was in front of them: The first time to bring their love to light.  


	7. So that's the truth - VII - "Roommates"

The next two days marked the silence before the storm. Mario has decided to play his role in Munich, to Marco’s great relief. As much as he would like to have him in Dortmund, as much did he knew that it was better not to cause a stir. He was stressed but his teammates did their best to distract him and show him their support. Meanwhile, things got worse in Munich. Mario felt more and more uncomfortable but held on for the moment.  
  
Marco slept at his parent’s house the night before the interview was released. Lying on the bed in his old nursery, he remembered once again how it had all started. He had a crush on Mario for a long time but when they wore the same team colours again, he finally fell in love with him. It was one of the first match days of the new season and they both played very well – Mario gave him an assist and he scored. Without reflection, they ran to each other on the pitch and embraced like maybe just lovers do. Marco lost his heart to Mario in that very moment. When he thought about it afterwards, it seemed to him like a slow-motion: The way he sprinted into his arms, the way he held him tight, the way he felt his body against his own.  
  
Each day before a match was played, they spent the night in a hotel. The trainer kept the team in suspense and drew the roommates by lot. Marco tried to hide his excitement every time his or Mario’s name was drawn. He hoped to win the lottery and get to share a hotel room with Mario even when he didn’t know what to do then. The blond didn’t consider it possible that Mario had a crush on him, too, although he sometimes gazed at him ambiguously and although he always stuck around Marco.  
  
It was about four weeks later when the trainer had to do another draw. Marco’s blood stirred when his name was finally declared – and Mario’s immediately afterwards. He thought that the brunett seemed to be tickled as well but he wasn’t sure. He feigned nonchalance while he grinned like the Cheshire’s cat inwardly. “Which room number did we get?”, he asked Mario, searching for his small suitcase to hide his excitement. “I’ll show it to you”, the latter smirked. Both men smiled all the way down the corridor to their room but when they stepped inside, they were self-conscious all of a sudden. It was a cosy little room with a huge bed in the middle and loads of cushions. “Eh, which side of the bed do you want to sleep in?”, Mario asked his friend. Marco bit his lip not to answer that it didn’t matter as long as Mario was lying next to him. Instead, he answered: “I’ll take the left like I do on the pitch”.  
  
“Fine! We have half an hour left until dinner, do you want to take a shower?”, Mario answered. The blond was in a cold sweat. “Naaah”, he replied, “I will just lie on the bed and relax.” “Do you mind if I take one?”, Mario stated. “Not a bit”, Marco answered quickly. Mario winked at him and disappeared into the bathroom. Marco felt his heart throbbing as he heard the water running in the bathroom. What should he do next? Preferably he wanted to walk over to the bathroom but he just stayed on the bed, pretending disinterest and playing with one of his smartphones. Finally Mario stepped out of the bathroom, a towel knotted around his hips. Marco couldn’t avert the gaze from the brunett’s body and Mario winked at him once again. “Come on, you have seen me naked before”, he teased Marco who immediately felt caught in the act. “I’m sorry”, Marco stammered. “You shouldn’t be”, the younger one replied seriously, throwing a meaningful look at the blond.  
  
Marco gave him a blank look back and they held their gaze before Mario broke the spell. “I’ll have to get dressed up for dinner”, he stated and Marco believed to hear some kind of regret in his voice. “Yeah, me too”, he answered. Both rummaged in their suitcases, pulling out two pairs of jeans and trying to deal with the heated atmosphere between them. Mario put on a slim-fit black shirt whereas Marco decided on a white one. “You’re looking good”, the blond murmured. “So do you”, Mario answered with another deep look into Marco’s eye. Was he flirting with him? Marco wasn't sure. Before the tension could build up again, he continued: “We’ll have to go downstairs. Wanna sit next to me?” Mario smiled back: “With pleasure”.  
  
They sat vis-à-vis to each other during the dinner. It was a hard job to pretend that nothing had happened when both of them knew that the air has started to burn somehow. They chatted with their teammates, stealing a glance every now and then. Both wanted to be alone again and were afraid of it at once. Finally the dinner was over and the players separated. On the way to their room, Marco and Mario exaggerated their jokes to distract the others and especially themselves.  
  
Eventually Marco shut the door behind them and let himself fall on his side of the bed. Mario did the same. “Uhhh, I thought this dinner would never end”, the brunett stated. They talked about the food and their teammates, the matches to play and the rivals to face. Neither one of them dared to take the next step. “Are you tired?”, Mario asked Marco after a while. “No, to the contrary”, Marco admitted. “I am happy that we are …alone at last”, he continued softly. “Me too”, Mario stated, smiling embarrassed.  
  
A breathless silence between them followed. The blond turned his head towards his friend. “What shall we do now? Do you like to watch television? Maybe we can enjoy a football match together.” “Yeah, why not”, Mario agreed. Marco got up from the bed to switch the television on. They found a rerun of a match between two Spanish teams. Marco came back to bed, sat next to his friend and both leaned their back to the bedhead.  
  
The match was entertaining and they soon commented both on it. “Look at that one-two! We can do so much better”, Mario shouted. “Yeah, and did you see that turnover? _You_ wouldn’t have lost the ball!”, Marco stated. “We would have run them down”, the brunett laughed. One of the Spanish teams scored a goal. “That’s what they call a goal celebration? Lame!”, Marco claimed, feeling more and more relaxed. “Nobody else masters it the way we do”, Mario agreed.  
  
Suddenly Marco noticed that the gap between him and Mario was closed. His shoulder touched the one of his friend and so did their thighs. He heard Mario breathing next to his ear, he smelled his after-shave and he felt the warmth of his body. And then he threw his caution to the wind, putting his arm around Mario’s shoulder. “I like the way we celebrate a goal”, he mumbled. Mario got the clue without hesitation and rested his head on Marco’s shoulder. The blond pulled him nearer, asking: “Is it okay?” while Mario replied: “More than that”. Marco started to caress Mario’s hair and the latter snuggled into him closer.  
  
“What’s happening with us?”, Mario whispered. “I don’t know”, Marco admitted honestly, “that has never happened to me before”. “Ditto”, Mario answered, placing a hand on Marco’s leg and stroking him. “Just to make it clear”, the blond continued. “It’s not a passing whim for me. You mean a lot to me and I can’t fight it anymore”, he confessed. “You don’t have to fight it”, Mario answered simply, “because you mean a lot to me, too.”  
  
Marco started to grin from ear to ear. He could hardly believe his luck. Mario turned his head to face Marco and it seemed that they saw each other with different eyes now. Both leaned forward slowly, hesitantly at first, until their lips finally met. It was a short, delicate kiss. “Jesus, this is so much better than I have ever imagined”, the blond whispered. “Then keep it up”, the younger one replied, running his fingers through Marco’s hair. Their next kiss was more intimate, with a lot of tongue and hands stroking over heated bodies. They didn’t go further than kissing and caressing this night, being gently and passionately to each other. When they finally fell asleep, Marco wrapped his body around Mario’s, their fingers and legs entangled. For the moment, he didn’t care about the problems their love relationship might bring in the future. Instead, he allowed himself to be what he wanted to be for a long time: entirely happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we'll go again... This is some kind of a review and I am not entirely satisfied with it. It should have been more tenderly and emphatic maybe, but I didn't get it right. Anyway - sorry for the delay, but this is rather a long chapter and I liked to think back with Marco. :-)


	8. So that's the truth - VIII - "The interview"

Marco woke up with the warm memories of his first night with Mario in his thoughts. He remembered how he talked about that night with Mario a few months afterwards. The brunett had confessed that he has hoped to win the roommate-lottery, too, and that he had tried to fudge on the draw. He had brought Kevin and Lewy to his side but unfortunately they neither had been the ones to gain Marco as a roommate.  
  
Marco needed a few moments to remember where he was and what day finally has arrived. A wave of shock ran through his body. He tried to find his mobile to call Mario before he noticed that he has switched it off before he went to bed. His agents were charged to look after the media requests. He was about to activate his smartphone, but grabbed the alarm clock on the nightstand first to look how late it was. It fell out of his hands, causing some noise. A few moments later, somebody knocked at the door. “Is everything ok, dear?”, he heard the soft voice of his mother. “Mom, you can come in”, he mumbled. His mother stepped inside, looking concerned and caring at once. “How did you sleep?”, she asked. “Amazingly well”, he tried to claim, but his mother knew him better. She sat next to him on the bed. “The magazine was in the post box already”, she stated, “I read everything. And before the storm is raised, I want to tell you that I’m proud of you. No matter what the people will say, you did everything right. You can always come here if you need a hideaway. Bring Mario with you whenever you want.” “Yeah, Mario… I need to call him”, he stated. “Are there any paparazzi in front of the house? Did you get any phone calls?”, Marco asked hesitantly. Preferably he wanted to stay in his nursery forever but he knew that he has to face the reality soon. “No, I didn’t notice anything, but there’s a visitor”, his mother said. “Come over to the living room soon, dear”. She walked outside, not giving Marco the chance to respond.  
  
The blond wondered who the visitor was. Nobody from the media knew the address of his parents. And why did they let a visitor inside the house? It couldn’t be Mario because he had promised to stay in Munich and he trusted him. He hurried to the bathroom, trying to bring himself to an acceptable state. Then he walked over to the living room, his eyes going wide when he realized who the visitor was – Mario’s mother. Before he could say anything, she stood up and hugged him. She barely could find words. “Marco… I’m so relieved that you ended the hide-and-seek. That faked relationship with his girlfriend... It wasn’t good for Mario. Thank you for standing behind him all the time, I knew how much he needed it lately and how much he gave you a hard time. I worry about him”, she said. Marco was embarrassed. “I worry about him, too. But he’s my friend, sure I will care for him”, he answered blushing. Mario’s mom embraced him once again. “I will fly to Munich this afternoon to support him”, she stated. Marco got an idea. “Wait, can you bring him something with you?”, he asked. “Sure”, Mario’s mom smiled in accordance with his own mother. Marco asked his mother bashfully for a sheet of paper and an envelope. He went over to his room, wrote hastily, putting a small item into the envelope before he closed it. Mario’s mom pocketed the bundle carefully. “Take care, Marco”, she murmured to the blond. “And always have faith in yourself.”  
  
After she had left, Marco was finally able to read the magazine. He was on the cover and the headline says: “The brave interview”. The first part was about his aims on the pitch. The bursting charge was hidden in the last: The reporter asked him what he thinks about gay football players. Marco answered: “I hope they will be accepted and don’t have to hide anymore.” The reporter asked back: “Do you know a gay football player personally?” Marco (smiles): “Yes. You’re sitting next to him.” The reporter: “Have we witnessed the first coming-out just this minute?” Marco: “If you like.” The reporter: “Do you want to say anything more about it?” Marco: “Not for the moment.”  
  
Marco breathed deeply after he saw it in black and white. It made him feel giddy and he read it several times to get used to the words. He swallowed and took the phone to call Mario, but got his mailbox only. His mother placed a cup of coffee and a slice of bread and jam in front of him. “I’ll have to call my agents”, he sighed. “You’ll have to eat and drink something first”, his mother replied. He smiled weakly and took a mouthful of coffee to please her. Next, he grabbed his mobile again. He could watch more and more messages appearing and flipped through them. Most of the messages were very heartening. His friends told him how proud they were and that he can count on them.  
  
He found several messages from Mario, sent in the middle of the night. He sounded desperate and Marco shivered when he read them. “Wish u were here”, “Wish I was at your side”, “I’ll give everything up”, “besides u!!!!”, “Love u”, “proud of u”, “can u call me?”, “miss u so bad”, were just some of them. He tried to call him back but again it was just the mailbox responding. The next call went to his agent. He wasn’t happy at all when Marco revealed that he planned to come out. The agency feared that Marco was going to lose some advertising contracts or that his value to the market was going to sink which meant less money for them. The blond didn’t care at all. He wasn’t interested in more millions on his banking account, he was interested in authenticity. The call was short – the agents told him distantly that they were overrun with media requests, but handled them like discussed with a stock response.  
  
Marco made it to the news on various channels: television, radio, newspapers, internet. He was the man of the day. Most of the reactions were absolutely positive, some were marginal and a few really disgusting. On the whole, the media praised itself for being broad-minded. Whenever some haters made mean comments on internet platforms, they were called to order by many others.  
  
The trainer relocated the next training session in the afternoon to the gym, so Marco and his teammates weren’t forced to face the reporters who beleaguered the training area. In representation for all, Sebastian gave a quick statement. He said that the team and the responsible persons took pride in Marco and will support him. Furthermore he asked the media to respect his privacy.  
  
Marco tried to call Mario several times but wasn’t successful at all. Each time he caught the mailbox on the other end of the line, he felt more worried. In the meantime, he received calls and messages from many people: the Bundestrainer, other players and some politicians took their hats off to him. The first step was taken. The next step would be the upcoming matchday. The team was going to play in its own stadium but Marco was anxious anyway. He asked himself how the fans would react. But he was even more afraid of another circumstance: What was wrong with Mario?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the encouraging comments and the kudos!
> 
> This turns out to be a rather long story with some more chapters to come - I never planned it that way but I love to write it. Hope you'll enjoy! :-)


	9. So that's the truth - IX - "Knocked down"

Marco decided to drive home directly after training. He had an underground parking in his house so he didn’t need to face anybody. Even in the car he tried to call Mario, but without success. Finally home, he threw himself on his couch, smelling at the cushions, still sweeting with Mario’s after-shave. He winced when his mobile suddenly rang and Mario’s name appeared at the display.  
  
“God, Mario, are you alright? I was worried sick!” The brunett sounded outspent. “I’m on my way home from training and still in the car. Hell Marco, you can’t imagine what’s happening here”, he told him. “Tell me”, Marco encouraged him to go on. “No, first I have to tell you that you are the bravest person I have ever met”, he stated almost silently. “Don’t waste your breath”, Marco tried to shrug off. “No. I can’t wait until we meet again. I wanna be at your side. I love you so much”, the brunett confessed, his voice trembling. “I love you, too, sunny. But what’s up in Munich? Tell me”, he urged. “What’s up in Dortmund?”, Mario tried to change the subject again.  
  
“I’m doing fine, don’t worry. But don’t distract attention. I know that something is wrong. I can hear it in your voice”, Marco answered. “Fuck, Marco, fuck. Some of my teammates… it doesn’t matter”, he sighed. “It _does_ matter”, Marco replied, “You’re my boyfriend. You’ll have to tell me what has happened”. “I’m ashamed of them”, Mario continued hesitantly. Then he told Marco that some of his teammates made sport of Marco and the interview. It culminated in the statement that Mario may have come to Munich to prevent from Marco’s advances. The blond was speechless.  
  
“What did you do?”, he managed to bring out. “Eh, I… knocked him down.” “You did _what_?” “I punched my fist in his face”, Mario stated. “Fuck, Mario, who was it?” “Eh, Ribery.” “You came to blows with _Ribery_? Holy shit”, Marco answered frantically. “Yeah… Pep separated us and I was brought to Uli Hoeness.” “You’re kidding”. “I wish I was”, Mario replied. “It was like a cross-examination”, he told. “He asked me if I had known about the interview and your sexual orientation. And he wanted to dictate that I get together with Ann-Kathrin again. He told me that they spent 37 million on me and that he heard rumours about us he won’t accept”, the brunett continued exhausted.  
  
“I… I don’t know what to say… I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn’t have done this”, Marco regretted deeply. “No, I shouldn’t have come to Munich, that’s the point”, Mario shouted, “but can I call you back later? I’m almost at home.” “Yeah, you’ll have to call me, because we are not through with this”, Marco stated with mounting anger, “those fucking bastards”. “Don’t worry. I won’t put up with this”, Mario claimed. They ended their call and Marco was more than happy to know that Mario’s mother was waiting for him.  
  
Marco called Kevin afterwards and told him what has happened. “Let’s wait until these retards come to Dortmund to play us. I’ll floor the douchebag”, he grunted. They blew off steam together and Marco felt better after he shared his rage with his friend. He looked at his watch – Mario must be at home now and hopefully his mother has given him the bundle. He barely finished the thought as his mobile rang again. It was Mario, moved to tears.  
  
“I don’t know what to say – thank you so much”, he stammered. “You’re welcome”, Marco smiled. “That is the first love-letter you have ever written for me”, the brunett whispered. “To be honest, that was the first love-letter I have ever written in my life”, the blond laughed. “It is perfect”, Mario stated. “Perfect letter for a perfect man”, Marco answered shyly. “But you shouldn’t have given your necklace away”, Mario claimed, “I know how much it means to you.” “Nothing in the world means more to me than you”, Marco mumbled. “And I wanted you to have something from me until we can meet again. You don’t have to wear it though, it’s my name on it”, he continued. “Actually, it is lying under my pillow”, Mario confessed. “Good place, stands for nice dreams”, Marco grinned, soon losing its humour: “Although it’s more a nightmare right now.”  
  
“No, it isn’t. It’s just a passing phase. I talked to my mom”, Mario told him. “I won’t give up that easily. I did nothing wrong and neither did you.” “I don’t know, maybe I should have remain silent”, Marco doubted. “Don’t you dare second-guessing”, the brunett replied. “I can’t change it back either way”, the blond sighed. “Don’t beat yourself up”, Mario claimed, his voice firm. “But I’m still so sorry for the mess I caused”, Marco murmured. “You shouldn’t be. We’re dealing with this”, Mario replied. “Yeah, we’ll do”, Marco confirmed, still beset by doubts. A few moments later, they hang up because Mario’s mother had called him for dinner. Before he left his room, Mario hesitated, thinking to himself: “Now more than ever”. Then he grabbed Marco’s necklace and put it on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly I don't know which words are written on Marco's necklace. But I noticed that he wears it very often - the one with the two dog tags on it. Could be his name maybe. :-)


	10. So that's the truth - X - "Fighting back"

Marco and Mario talked more than once on the phone this evening and night. Although they couldn’t see each other, they felt incredibly close. This was something they were going through together and they knew that they can count on each other.  
  
The next day – the day before the next match – things in Dortmund got better and better. Marco even smiled at the reporters in front of the training area, saying some words to them. He thanked his supporters and suggested friendly but firmly to come back to business, which meant the game tomorrow. He felt more and more relieved. The negative reactions were limited and the positives gave him support. He even looked forward to the match they had to play. Their opponents had quite peaceful fans so he hoped for the best again.  
  
In Munich, things turned out to be more dramatic. Mario drove to the training the next day, his head up high. He was fed up and not willing to accept any stupid comments. When he entered the pitch, he had his guns blazing. Ribery looked at him furious. “You almost broke my nose, sissy”, he hissed, “you’ll suffer for this!” Mario was unmoved. “I think the media would be very interested in the fact that the European football player of the year is a fucking homophobic”, he hissed back. “Don’t you dare…” his teammate replied. “Then shut your puss”, the brunett stated, leaving him alone.  
  
The training went on and both darted malignant glances. The situation was tense and even the trainer recognized it.  Afterwards, they went to the locker room. Mario cleared his throat, then telling his teammates: “Just to make that clear, I won’t tolerate any homophobic statements. Some of you are playing with Marco in the national team and we all should support him, even if he’s with our biggest rival in the Bundesliga. That’s all.” He saw nods of assent from some of his teammates and noticed it with satisfaction.  
  
Mario was about to leave the locker room when Ribery came back to him. “I’m sorry”, he said. “It’s just… I’m not used to, eh, gays”. He tried to embrace Mario who found the hug rather unpleasant. Ribery continued: “Oh, you have a new necklace? Cool! Let me see it”. Mario felt his heart skip a beat. “What the fuck”, his teammate shouted, “it’s Reus’ name on it! I knew it before, you are a freaking couple!” Suddenly it was so quiet in the locker room you could hear a pin drop.  
  
Mario’s heart was thumping like mad but he wasn’t deterred. “Yeah, guess what? You are right. He’s my boyfriend and I’m proud of him! And what now? You wanna bash me?” Ribery stood in front of him, his eyes wide in shock. Mario took the chance to grab his bag and leave. He heard hubbub behind him but he didn’t care. He climbed into his car, stepped on the gas and left everything and everybody behind.


	11. So that's the truth - XI - "Visitors"

Finally at home, Mario threw his bag into a corner. His mother entered the corridor. “Is everything alright?”, she asked. “Yes and no. I told my teammates that Marco is my boyfriend”, he confessed. “Oh dear, what did they say?”, his mother asked back. “I honestly don’t know, I left before I heard the answers.” “How are you?”, his mother asked again caringly. “Pretty good”, the brunett admitted. “I was so sick of the hide-and-seek. And now it’s over. Fortunately.” “What did Marco say?”, Mario’s mother questioned. “I have to call him first”, Mario stated. “He is still on training.” He talked to his mother a while, then he tried to get Marco on the phone.

The blond answered after the second ring. “Hey, sunny, how are you doing?”, he asked tentatively. “I feel like a million dollars”, Mario replied light-hearted. “Really?”, Marco doubted. “Yeah, I threw a whole football team for a loop”, the brunett chuckled. “Jesus, what did you do this time?”, the blond uttered concerned.  “Telling them that we are a couple?”, Mario suggested. “Fuck, and you’re still alive?” “Yeah, I ditched them all. They can tattle without me.” “Hell, that has developed his own dynamics”, Marco mused. “I don’t care at all, Marco. I don’t care if they throw me out of the team, if they sell me, if anybody is offending me. There are just two things that are important: to be honest and to be at your side. If they won’t let me play – ok, their loss! I’m sick and tired of leading a double life. I stopped it. Finito.”

Marco smiled. “You’re sounding very energetic. I kind of like that.” “I’m not only sounding energetic, I _am_ energetic”, the brunett replied, “by the way, when can we meet again?” Marco chuckled. “What are you up to?”, he asked cheekily. “Spending some time with my now official boyfriend?”, Mario replied innocently. “I’m so impatient to it”, the blond murmured, “but we have to come through the match day tomorrow first. Are you going to be on the pitch?”, he asked. “Maybe. I don’t know and I don’t give a damn. But if we wouldn’t have training on Monday… and you neither…”, the brunett continued. “Got it”, Marco smiled in anticipation, “we’ll have to find a way then”.  
  
The blond added: “Do you think your teammates will tell the media that we are a twosome?” “Sooner or later. We should pre-empt them.” “You’re right. Any ideas?”, Marco asked. Before Mario could answer they were interrupted by the doorbell of Mario’s flat. “Do you expect anybody?”, the blond asked. “No? Whoever could it be?”, Mario wondered. He walked to the door, looking through the camera of the door intercom system. “You won’t believe it”, he shouted into his mobile, his voice insecure. “Who is it?”, Marco urged. “Pep Guardiola and Philipp Lahm. I’ll have to replace”, Mario stated. And then the phone went dead.


	12. So that's the truth - XII - "At the stadium"

Marco rapidly texted “plz call me” to Mario. Then he waited for an answer or a call. He stayed awake long after midnight until his phone rang finally. Surprisingly, Mario seemed to be in a good mood. “Sunny, what’s up? That’s enough to drive a person mad!”, Marco sighed into his mobile, “did they throw you out of the team?” “Quite the contrary”, the brunett stated pleased. “Pardon?”, Marco asked. “Pep and Philipp will provide me any support. Can you imagine, they just wanted to look after me. They even brought a six-pack of beer with them. Despite the fact that we will play a match tomorrow!”, the brunett grinned. Marco was speechless. “Things always seem to happen when you least expect them”, he mumbled to himself.  
  
“Philipp said he has known for a while that we are a couple”, Mario continued. “Yeah, the national team duties. He’s a good skipper”, Marco smiled. “Yeah, he definitely is”, Mario agreed. “The only thing they worry about is the fact, that we are a twosome and rivals at once. That will push the fans over the edge and we will have to find a way to deal with it.” “Can’t be denied”, the blond stated, “what did they suggest?” “We’ll have to make special arrangements”, Mario claimed, “and we all should meet to do so.” “Who is ‘we all’?”, Marco asked concerned. “You, me, some representatives of our teams. We should give a joint statement.” “Hell, I set off an avalanche”, Marco stated weakly. “The time was here. We’re making history”, Mario calmed him down.  
  
“I don’t’ want to make history, I just want to have my peace”, the blond uttered. “Then we’ll have to go through it”, Mario said. “You’re right. Shall we talk again tomorrow after the match? I’m a little bit afraid of the fans”, Marco admitted. “I’m at your side, at least mentally”, the brunett stated, “and don’t you forget: Maybe we can meet on Monday”. “How would I ever forget that”, Marco smiled. “I wish you a good night”. “I wish you a good night, too.”  
  
The next day both had to play in the Bundesliga. Mario was protected, because his coming out wasn’t yet public. But Marco’s heart throbbed faster and faster the closer he got to the stadium. He sat next to Kevin in the team bus. “Man, keep calm”, the latter tried to distract him, “it’ll come better thank you might think now, trust me.” Marco managed a weak smile and listened to the music his ear-phones were playing. More than anything else, he was afraid of the moment his name was stated at the team lineup. He feared that the fans would boo him or doing other unpleasant things. He sighed as the bus arrived at the stadium and the players went to the locker room. They were putting their jerseys on when Sebastian began to speak. “Marco, in the name of the whole team I want to thank you again for your courage. And no matter what’s happening out there, you are a part of us and we will all stand behind you. Let’s go out and win the game!”

Marco was left speechless again. He gave his teammates high five before they entered the pitch. It was a weird feeling for him to realize that almost everybody on the stands suddenly knew about his orientation. He tried to abandon the thoughts and focus on the match. Then the stadium announcer started to read the team lineup aloud. He exclaimed the prenames and the fans shouted the surnames in reply. Marco felt sick when the name of Henrikh was read because he knew that he was next.

The stadium announcer stated “And with the number eleven… Marco…” and the blond prepared himself for catcalls. He couldn’t believe his eyes when almost the whole stadium suddenly stood up, shouting his name with enthusiasm and beginning to applaud. He looked to the south stands where the Dortmund fans were located. They held a very large banner with the words “We are proud of you” in their hands. His gaze wandered to the fans of their rivals and he shivered immediately. Instead of whistling, they showed many little posters with just one word on it: Reuspect.


	13. So that's the truth - XIII - "The meeting"

It was a match Marco never forgot. He was borne by the fans and scored two amazing goals. The stadium went crazy and the team played like in a sensual frenzy. Afterwards, he celebrated with the fans, taking several bows in front of the stands. He was overwhelmed when he tried to call Mario in a quiet second. The latter had no chance to speak when he answered the phone. “Sunny, did you get it? We won and I... fuck, it’s marvellous!” Mario swallowed. “I am so delighted for you”, he stated. “You’re sounding sad”, Marco replied. “Naaah, I’m fine.” “How was your match?” “We won”, the brunett told, “but I was on the bench except for the last ten minutes.” “I’m sorry, love. That’s not fair”, Marco regretted. “Whatever!”, Mario replied, trying to sound confident.  
  
He continued: “Pep or whosoever will call Jürgen the next days. You know, the meeting?” Marco was suddenly brought back to earth. “Yeah, I know, but I don’t like it.” “Me neither”, the brunett replied.  “I guess they want us to meet on Monday”, Mario added. “Not _our_ Monday”, Marco shouted while the brunett sighed. “Take a deep breath and get to it”, he stated. “Nothing else remains to be done”, Marco answered resigned.  
  
He felt like throwing up. “Why me?”, he thought to himself. The idea of a meeting between his team responsibles and the responsibles of Bayern Munich where his and Mario’s relationship was plucked into pieces made him desperate, helpless and angry all at once.  
  
But he wasn’t asked and neither was Mario. Two days later, both of them found themselves in an impersonal hotel private room somewhere between Dortmund and Munich. Marco has flown in from Dortmund together with his CEO and so did Mario from Munich. When they met each other, they shook hands like strangers, while both just wanted to hug and kiss and simply being left alone. It was painful, especially for Marco, who set the ball rolling. They decided to keep the coming out of Mario secret until the season was over, much to the brunett’s displeasure.  
  
Marco was too burnt-out to even complain. The last weeks before he sorted things out, the fear, the coming-out and the reactions became too much for him. He agreed to play hide-and-seek again, just asking the CEOs for a few minutes with Mario alone. The representatives had no objections and went to have dinner in another private room.  
  
“It’s a nightmare, isn’t it?”, Marco murmured sadly. Mario sat next to him, putting his arm around his shoulder. “No, it isn’t. We’ll get through it. That’ll make our relationship stronger than before”, the brunett said. Then he looked from one side of the room to the other, before he cupped Marco’s face in his hands to kiss him passionately. “Do you call _this_ a nightmare?”, he whispered to him. The blond smiled back. “Eh, I’m not sure. Can you show it to me once again?” Minutes elapsed, in which both of them kissed and caressed each other. “If this fucking meeting was useful to hold you for just a couple of minutes, it was worth it”, Mario stated. 

“Yeah, and the season will be over in a few months, then we’ll play the world championship far away from Germany”, Marco replied. “Roommate needed?”, the brunett asked back sassily. “I already promised Ilkay”, the blond joked. “You’re right”, Mario answered seriously. “We shouldn’t overdo.” “Naaah, I don’t want to hear that”, the blond uttered disappointed. “We’ll take it step by step”, Mario tried to cheer both up. “There will be another Monday that is reserved for us. Or a Sunday. Or a Tuesday”, he grinned. “Hope you’re right”, Marco claimed, “why is it so complicated?” “No, it’s not complicated, it’s easy. I love you and you love me. As I said before, we’ll come out of this stronger.”  
  
Marco tried not to cry when they said goodbye a few hours later, not with his CEO standing next to him, although he felt torn into pieces. When they climbed onto the plane, the latter suddenly patted his shoulder. He threw a meaningful and warm look at Marco. “Don’t let your head hang. Next season, all cards will be reshuffled.” Then he winked at him. The blond considered for a long time how he had to understand these words.


	14. So that's the truth - XIV - "Penalty"

Against Marco’s fears, the next weeks passed by quite peaceful and they had time to catch their breaths. He managed to meet with Mario every now and then. Each time after they had met, Marco performed extremely outstanding on the pitch. His teammates made fun of him, but he took it with a grin. Mario was part of Bayern Munich’s first eleven finally. But too soon another problem came up the horizon: Marco and Mario had to play against each other in the Bundesliga.  
  
Both were nervous but succeeded in acting professionally. Everything went well until the referee blew the starting whistle for the second half. Suddenly the Reds lost the ball and Mario had to assist his defenders. It was Jonas who sprinted towards the goal of Bayern Munich. Mario didn’t see another chance than to take him out right in front of the goal. The referee decided on penalty immediately. But worse than that, Mario injured himself. He landed accidentally on his foot, fell to the grass and stayed lying down.  
  
Marco stood about five metres away and he could hear something break in the brunett’s body. Milliseconds after, he heard Mario scream and it put Marco’s teeth right on edge. Everything inside of him wanted to ran to his lover but he stood still, watching the medical staff taking care of Mario. He could hear him groan from pain and it was obvious that he was hurt really bad. Philipp, not only the skipper of the national team but also of Bayern Munich, walked over to Mario and talked to the medical staff. He searched Marco’s gaze, giving him a sign with his head. Both moved over to their coaching zones. Philipp grabbed a bottle of water and Marco copied him. “It seems like he has broken his ankle and ruptured some ligaments”, Philipp told the blond. “I’m sorry.”  
  
Marco swallowed hard. “Thank you for letting me know”, he managed to answer. “I’ll keep you informed”, Philipp replied. Marco’s trainer blended into the conversation. “Philipp, wait. Can you tell Mario that Marco will come to the hospital after the match?” Philipp smiled. “Sure, I’ll do.” Marco gazed at the trainer wide-eyed. “You don’t have to thank me. Just go out and take the penalty”, the trainer stated. “Me?”, the blond asked with horror in his voice. “Who else?”, the trainer responded bluntly but with an encouraging look. Marco nodded, totally at sixes and sevens. He grabbed another bottle of water, dumped it over his head and jogged over to the penalty spot.  
  
He took several deep breaths and focused on the ball, not looking at Manuel at all. When the referee blew the whistle, he put everything into the penalty. He tried to kick off the fear for Mario, the sadness about his fresh injury and the hard times they went through. Manuel had no snowball’s chance in hell to catch the ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, Mario...


	15. So that's the truth - XV - "That's my home"

Borussia Dortmund won the match against Bayern Munich but understandably, Marco was not in the mood to celebrate. He hurried to take a shower and to get dressed again. Kevin came over to him. “I’ll drive you to the hospital. You’re not looking like you should participate in road traffic right now”. “Thank you”, the blond stated, “but why is he always hit hardest? This could be the end of his career”. “Yes”, Kevin answered. “But let’s wait what the doctors are saying.”

They drove to the hospital where they met Mario’s mother at the lobby. “Marco, it’s so good that you are here”, she uttered desperately. “They had to perform surgery on him immediately, he’s still at the operating room.” “Did the doctors tell you what is injured?”, the blond asked. “He broke his ankle in a compound fracture. Probably some ligaments are affected, too”, Mario’s mother replied. “Fuck!”, Marco claimed, “I mean, I’m sorry, but… fuck. Fuck! Why is it him again?” “I don’t know, Marco”, his mom answered. “But he’ll need intensive care, not only physically.... I hope he can stay in Dortmund for a while.” “I hope that, too”, Marco told her with a sigh.  
  
A doctor came over to them. “He’s at the anaesthetic recovery room now. The surgery went well but it will need time for him to recover. Does anybody want to come with me and stay with him until he wakes up?” Mario’s mother whispered: “Marco, you should do this. He needs nobody more at the moment than you.” Kevin nodded. “I’ll stay here with Mario’s mom. Come on, go.” Marco stood up and walked away with the doctor. He was brought to a small room where Mario was lying in a bed, looking thin and extremely vulnerable. He was still sleeping. “He’ll wake up within the next minutes. You can sit by his side”, the doctor told the blond with an understanding glance. “And don’t worry – we’re not telling anybody outwards that you are here.”  
  
Marco thanked the doctor, who left the room, and grabbed Mario’s hand. He stroked his fingers and caressed his cheeks carefully. A few moments later, he could hear him groan quietly. Mario’s eyes flew open. “Where am I?”, he whispered powerless. “You’re at the hospital”, the blond told him. “You broke your ankle but it’s already fixed again.” “Philipp was right. You are really here”, the brunett murmured. “Sure. Close your eyes and have a rest. I’ll stay”, he promised. “My foot hurts”, Mario stated, already drifting away again. “I know”, Marco answered, entangling his fingers with Mario’s.  
  
He sat at his side until Mario was brought to his hospital room where they met Kevin and Mario’s mother again. “I got rid of the representatives of his team”, the latter told Marco. “They read the medical bulletin and can’t do anything for the moment. He’ll have to keep his foot non-weight-bearing for six weeks. And he’ll remain in Dortmund as long as he needs crutches.” “He can stay with me”, Marco said without thinking. “I mean, at least for hours or sometimes overnight when I don’t have to play a match or so”, he added blushing. “He’ll be delighted. We’ll alternate”, Mario’s mum smiled. “What are you discussing?”, a weak voice asked from behind.  
  
“Who’s taking care of you, love”, Mario’s mother told him. “You’ll stay here for six weeks.” “At the hospital?”, Mario asked frantically. “No, in Dortmund”, his mother calmed him down. “Mom, did they bring my briefcase? Can you handle it to me?”, the brunett asked. “Sure, it must be in the nightstand”. Mario fumbled it out and opened it. He brought out a key and held it up. “I hope you are not disappointed, mum. But that’s my home now”. He looked carefully to Marco who smiled at him, well knowing which key it was. “I’m the best male nurse you can imagine. Call me Florence Reusingale”, he joked to cheer the brunett up.  
  
“I can take care of him as long as you have training or a match”, Mario’s mother stated. “And if it’s not too much for you, sure he’ll stay with you.” “Can’t wait to be released from the hospital”, Mario murmured, falling asleep again. They let him sleep and Kevin drove Marco back home. The latter called his mother, ordering her to stop at the supermarket. He commissioned soups, orange juice, fruits, pasta, pizza, even chocolate pudding – anything he thought could bring Mario back to his feet – or at least his foot – again. Kevin looked at him amazed when he ended the call. “Florence Reusingale, huh? You really love him, don’t you?” Marco just nodded. 


	16. So that's the truth - XVI - Pleasant times

Mario was released from hospital a few days after. Fabian picked him up and drove him right to Marco’s flat. The latter was busy engaged to prepare everything. He had tidied up, filled the fridge and put clean sheets on the bed. He grinned like the Cheshire’s cat when Mario finally arrived although he knew that his injury doesn’t stand for any nonsense. Fabian drank coffee with them and Marco thanked him once again that he had pulled the chestnuts out of the fire a few weeks ago.

When they finally were alone, Marco helped Mario to lie down on the sofa, propping up his foot on a cushion. Fabian has brought a bag with Mario’s clothes. Marco carried it to the bedroom where he had made room in his wardrobe. He sorted and shelved the brunett’s clothes, wishing they could stay there forever. “We’re cohabiting”, he thought to himself with a big smile. “Marco? Could you come here?”, he heard his boyfriend calling. “Sure, sweetheart. Just a second.” He put the remaining clothes into the wardrobe and went over to the living room.

“Do you need something?”, the blond asked, “are you hungry?” “Yes”, Mario grinned, “but I don’t need food. I need _you_.”  He embraced Marco and pulled him closer. “Did you know that kisses are good for healing?” “Yeah, and I’m much better in kissing than cooking”, the blond whispered back. “Haha, do you remember the first time you tried to cook for me?”, Mario asked smirking, “your lasagne burnt in the oven.” “Please. It wasn’t my fault. Who wanted to have the ‘dessert’ first?”, Marco replied cheekily. “I’ll never forget that night”, Mario fancied. “Why? Because we nearly needed to call the fire department?”, the blond joked. “You know very well why. Don’t you tell me you forgot the first time we made love?” “Never ever”, Marco stated dreamily. “Well, thank you for receiving me here”, the brunett continued shyly. “As I told you some time ago, this is not my home, it is _our_ home. I meant what I said. I will take care for you. Always.” “I know”, Mario mumbled, kissing Marco again.  
  
The next weeks were the best time they ever had. They lived like an ordinary couple – they cooked and ate together – even though the food was uneatable sometimes –, invited friends, watched television, cuddled through the nights and argued over open toothpaste tubes. When Marco went to a training session or to a match, Mario just stayed at their flat. He barely left it, feeling extremely sheltered there. He didn’t tell his boyfriend anything, but when the six weeks were almost over, he has developed a sophisticated plan – not willing to lose the love of his life ever again.


	17. So that's the truth - XVII - Freaking out

Mario waited patiently until Marco was absent for two days to play the next match. Then he called the reporter both had met for the interview. The latter was more than surprised because the media wondered for a good while where Mario has got to. “Can we meet tomorrow?” the brunett asked him. “Sure, but I will have to book a flight to Munich first.” “Eh, you don’t have to come to Munich. I’m in Dortmund.” “I think I understand”, the reporter stated and Mario could hear a smile in his voice. They arranged a meeting the next day in a small café not far away from their flat. Mario knew the owner and could be sure that they were undisturbed.  
  
The brunett made his short way to the café incognito although he walked on his crutches, wearing a hoodie sweater and sunglasses, his hair longer than usual. The reporter expected him already. After they said welcome to each other, Mario came to business. “Following up our last meeting I guess the time is here to conduct an interview with me, too. I want to explain my fans where I have been the last weeks and why I vanished into thin air. And furthermore… I want to thank the man who has taken care for me all the time.” “I think I don’t have to ask who he is?”, the reporter replied. Mario smiled fondly. “Not literally.”  
  
They plotted a plan and once again the reporter was very understanding. Probably he hoped to get more insider information in the near future and maybe he was already seeing himself as an honoured guest at Marco’s and Mario’s wedding in his head. Anyhow, when they finished their conversation, both were satisfied. Two days more and another bombshell would be dropped.  
  
Marco was clueless until his boyfriend asked him to sit down at his side the evening before the second interview should be released. Mario was nervous. “I have to tell you something”, he admitted. “What’s up?”, Marco asked concerned, looking at his boyfriend who turned pale. “I met somebody yesterday.” “Whom? And where?” “At the café. Eh, the reporter, you know?” “What the hell! What did you tell him?” “The truth”, the brunett answered simply. “What do you mean? Jesus, Mario!” “ _Our_ truth.” “And what now?”, Marco asked on the edge of freaking out. “You can read it tomorrow”, Marco stated bluntly. And now Marco _freaked_ out – not because he was angry, but rather because he was deeply worried.  
  
“That’s what happens when I’m not looking after you!”, he yelled. “They’ll blow you away! Mess you up! Wipe the floor with you!” Mario was wide-eyed. “I don’t give a damn, Marco, did you finally get that? Who do you think you are? You gave the reporter an interview but I’m not allowed to? Are you mad?” “No, you are!” They stared at each other angrily until Marco sighed. “Back to the drawing board. What happened?” “I told you, you can read it tomorrow”, Mario snapped back. But he gave in and recapped the whole conversation. Marco couldn’t believe his ears: His boyfriend did a clever move – but he also staked everything on one bloody card.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter a few days ago, not knowing that we will see an "incognito" Mario with a hoodie sweater on the stands at yersterday's match... ;-) 
> 
> Hope Mario and Marco got the chance to at least talk a few words.


	18. So that's the truth - XVIII - One step ahead

Both stayed awake until it was midnight and the online issue of the interview was ready to download. Marco hovered between awe and horror. The headline of the interview stated: “Mario Götze: I’m back”. Then the questions and answers followed. 

Reporter: “Mario, how are you doing and where have you been the last weeks?”  
“I’m fine, thank you. The healing is in progress. I stayed in Dortmund the last few weeks. I needed some time to rest.”

“So your parents looked after you?”  
“Yes, my parents and my boyfriend.” 

“Is this the second coming-out after Marco Reus a few weeks ago?”  
“You might say that. And, because you are mentioning him: I want to thank him not only for his courage to be the first but also for the way he took care of me the last weeks.”

“Allow me to ask: Are you a couple? Does your team know about it?”  
“Yes, and they knew about it for quite a while. I want to thank them, too, for their absolute support. Above all, the elder players like Franck Ribéry are standing behind me and also the club management does.”

“That is big news. But isn’t it a problem that you play for rival teams?”  
“It is a difficult situation but we both are professionals and we can deal with it. And so do our teams. I hope the fans will accept it, too, although I know it won’t be easy for them.” 

Marco shook his head several times in disbelief as he read the text over and over again. “Thank you for speaking about me so kind”, he stated with a deep and warm look into Mario’s eye. “But Ribery will kill you if the management of Bayern Munich won’t pre-empt him.” “Think about it. They can’t correct my statement because then everybody will know that they don’t like gays. That would chip away their image.” “But they will call you to account, at least internally. Prepare yourself”, Marco replied. “You know, I was after that. Next step in my plan”, Mario answered. “You and your god damn plans”, Marco sighed. “But you’re right – you are a genius if you are successful.” “I will be. Take my word for it.” Mario hadn’t spoken out the last sentence as his mobile ringed. “Who is it?”, the blond asked. “Bayern Munich. Off we go”, Mario hissed before he answered the call.


	19. So that's the truth - XIX - Back to Munich

Marco didn’t recognize who the caller was although he could hear him scream through the line. Mario stayed amazingly cool. He agreed to fly to Munich the next day to meet with his team managers and hung up. “I’m sorry I can’t come with you”, Marco regretted. “I’ll be back soon”, Mario promised. Then he switched off his phone, well knowing that there were a lot more messages to come. The next morning, the blond drove Mario to the airport. “I wish you the best of luck”, he mumbled into his ear before he kissed him goodbye. “Trust me. I will be successful. And I call you as soon as possible.”  
  
Marco did what he always did when he was alone and strained: He called Kevin. The latter has tried to speak to him, too. “Your boyfriend has nerves”, he shouted into the mobile, “hell, I better not imagine what mess he caused in Munich.”  “Me neither. I hope they won’t kill him. Seriously.” “Did he fly to Munich?” “Yeah, I’m at the airport.” “Wanna come over?”, Kevin asked and Marco agreed gladly.  
  
“Did you read the interview?” Marco asked his friend when he sat on his sofa. “Yeah, but it was a lie, wasn’t it? Ribery and the management didn’t support him, as we know.” “He plotted a plan and the interview was part of it”, the blond explained. “What is he after?”, Kevin asked wondering. Marco blushed. “To leave Munich”, he stated. “That comes to his mind early. They won’t let him go”, Kevin replied. “Maybe there is a way. Keep your fingers crossed.”  
  
Kevin and Marco drove to the next training session together. The latter was embarrassed when he met his team mates. Jürgen punched him in the side. “So our Marco is taken and the whole world knows about it finally”, he joked and the blond smiled back weakly. The trainer pulled him to the side. “You know that this will become really difficult, especially for him, don’t you? I think some of our fans will freak out, too. You better stay calm. By the way, where is, eh, your companion?” “In Munich”, Marco sighed. “Hopefully you will get him back in _one_ piece”, the trainer said, “but whenever you need help, I’m there.” Marco nodded thankfully. Then he got an idea. “Wait. Maybe you could really help me”, he replied.


	20. Chapter XX - Successful

Marco’s trainer listen carefully what the blond had to say. Usually, he didn’t allow himself to get used but in this case he made an exception, because he had a score to settle with Bayern Munich. He patted Marco’s shoulder. “That’s a funny thing to do”, he grinned.

Marco waited longingly for Mario’s call and his mobile rung in the evening finally. “How are you doing?” he asked his friend gently. “I’m run over, but guess what – I think my plan will work.” “Tell me about your conversation”, Marco urged. “It was only half an hour and we were done. They blamed me that the interview was not arranged, that I’m impertinent and that they don’t trust me anymore. Besides, they see it as a big problem that I have a boyfriend and that it is, well, you.” “That’s a bit much”, Marco stated, “and what consequences are they drawing?” “I will have to pay a financial penalty and they will suspend me if I will ever conduct an unauthorized interview again.”

“About how much money are we talking?”, Marco asked hesitantly. “Forget about it, I already paid for it. But listen – I was at my best then”, Mario replied, “I told them that I don’t trust _them_ anymore and I threatened them to bring out the truth – how they wanted to keep me quiet and so.” “Fuck, that’s a bit much, too”, Marco shouted. “Yeah, they almost freaked out – and then I suggested a deal.” “As discussed?”, the blond asked carefully. “As discussed. And – they agreed to lend me to another club if anybody wants to have me. They will explain it with my injury – that I should pick up some match practice again before returning to them.”

“I’m speechless”, the blond replied, “you were successful, thank god.” “You’ll be even more speechless when I tell you where I am”, Mario chuckled into his mobile. “By the way – you should open the door… wait…. Right. Now.” Marco hurried to the entrance of his flat, running straight into the arms of his friend. “I can’t believe that you are already here again”, he whispered into his ear, “and I can’t believe what you just did. You’re walking on a wire, sunny”. “Yeah, maybe. But I hope there is somebody who will catch me if I fall”, Mario whispered back, pulling Marco as close as possible.


	21. Chapter XXI - A fresh start

This time, the storm after the interview was much more like a tornado than after Marco’s coming-out. The fans of both teams freaked out, blaming each other and speculating that Marco and Mario could have breached secrecies. A gay football player was fair enough, but a twosome, playing for the two biggest rival teams in the Bundesliga, was a little too much for some people. Marco had to face persistent allegations why he stuck by the "traitor" and Mario was isolated more than ever. He concentrated on his rehabilitation to distract himself and made good progress.  
  
For days, the media seemed to have no other theme to talk about. No boundaries were respected, the paparazzi hunted both, willing to take photos of them in exposing moments. Mario stayed at his parent’s house, not coming even in Marco’s proximity. Worse, Mario’s ex-“girlfriend” gave an exclusive interview, revealing the details of the contract she had with him. Half of the republic laughed – mainly about her, but it was disgusting anyway.

Dortmund lost the next match, even though Marco performed extremely well. Nevertheless, some fans accused him and that was the moment, the blond’s trainer brought himself in. He gave the media one of his famous interviews, finding extremely clear words. He asked everybody sharply to leave Marco and Mario alone if they don’t want to ruin their lives any further. Then he said an important sentence: “Especially for Mario, the last time was hard. He was injured really badly and I don’t know if he will ever play for Bayern Munich again.”  
  
The management of the Reds rampaged but the representatives of other teams pricked up their ears because the CEO of Dortmund had dropped similar comments in the past. It was obvious that Mario could never play for Dortmund again, but there were a lot of teams looking for a midfielder like him, even if he was still in rehab. It didn’t take long until he got the first offers. Teeth-gnashing, the representatives of Bayern Munich agreed to enter into negotiations as they had promised to keep him quiet.  
  
Mario didn’t tell Marco a word when one of the offers became concrete. He had to accept a huge cut in salary, but couldn’t be happier. The evening before he should sign his new contract, he tried to cook for Marco who was at a training session. He avoided preparing a lasagne, smiling at the thought of it, but tried to cook the goulash the blond liked so much. He had called Marco’s mother a few days before and had gotten the receipt. However, it was a hard job for him to look after the meat, the red cabbage and the noodles at once. Therefore he focused more on the decoration. He had bought some flowers, a bottle of champagne and loads of candles. “It seems that Marco has brought out my romantic side”, he smiled to himself.  
  
When the blond came back from training, his flat had turned into an ocean of candles. His eyes went wide when he looked at it – and at a smirking Mario, who leaped in anticipation. “Did I miss anything?”, Marco asked surprised and overwhelmed. “There’s something to celebrate”, Mario replied, his eyes glistening. “I’m sorry”, he continued, “but there is no way that you’ll get your flat back for yourself alone in the near future.” Marco’s eyes went even wider. “80 kilometres”, the brunet stated. “I can drive 80 kilometres each day, can’t I?” Marco just nodded. Mario grabbed the bottle of champagne, letting the cork pop. “Leverkusen wants to sign me”, he shouted finally.


	22. Chapter XXII - On top of the world

Marco couldn’t believe his ears. “You mean… You are coming back? You want to move in with me?” “Yeah, if I’m allowed to…”, Mario asked hesitantly. “Are you nuts?”, the blond shouted, “sure you are allowed to and if I have to drive the moving van by myself!” Mario’s eyes sparkled. “I can’t believe it. We did it, didn’t we?”, the blond whispered, hugging his boyfriend and running his hands up and down his back. “Yeah, we did it”, Mario whispered back, kissing Marco.

This time it was a goulash that almost set the flat’s kitchen on fire, but neither one of them was hungry, at least not hungry for _food_. They stayed awake the whole night, reassuring that their dreams finally came true.  

The next day, Marco drove Mario to the medical check he had to pass before he could sign the contract. Afterwards, he went to the next training session, smiling like a lunatic. He walked over to his trainer. “Thank you for helping us”, he grinned at him, “guess what, Mario will sign a new contract today.” “I know”, the trainer grinned back, leaving Marco astonished. “Come on Marco, I’m always one step ahead, you should know that”, he laughed. “So it will be Leverkusen? Wise decision”, he stated. “Much wiser than the decision he made before.”   
  
Marco stammered: “How did you know?” “Well, our CEO may have pulled some strings in the background”, the trainer answered. Suddenly the conversation with his CEO after the meeting with Bayern Munich’s representatives came back to Marco’s mind. “It dawns on me”, the blond murmured. “Yeah, the Reds wanted to get rid of him anyway”, the trainer confirmed his thoughts. “He was too... saying… stressful for them”, he smiled. “Remember – the Nike shirt, his injuries, his faked girlfriend who was flying off the handle, the interview and now _you_. They like it …easier.” Marco snorted. “Drop it, Marco, it’s over. Let’s focus on football.” The blond nodded.   
  
Mario’s transfer to Leverkusen was the main topic at the training session. Sven came over to him: “Hey, if we don’t play a match the same time maybe we can share a car to Leverkusen? You can watch Mario play and I can watch Lars.” The blond smiled gladly. “If you have a free seat in your car, don’t forget me!”, Nuri claimed from behind. “And the last one is reserved for me”, Kevin stated pleased. “How about renting a mini-van?”, Marcel joked, well-knowing that Mario’s return was a huge relief for Marco. The blond smiled at his team mates, still on top of the world.   
  
After the training session, he grabbed his mobile and suddenly his smile died. There was a message from Mario that concerned him. “Good and bad news. Which one do u wanna hear first?”


	23. Chapter XXIII - The World Championship

Marco took a deep breath and called Mario back. “Love, what’s wrong? Didn’t you sign the contract?”, he asked, his voice trembling. They were so close to their aim, he would be ruined if something crops up. “I did. That’s the good news”, Mario sighed into his mobile. “That’s a weight off my mind”, the blond answered relieved. “But what is the bad news?” “My injury isn’t healed yet. I signed the contract anyway, but I will not earn money until I can play again. Doesn’t matter, but…”, the brunet broke off, suddenly sounding extremely sad. “But what?”, Marco tried to ask as caring as he could be. “I’ll need some more time to recover and… Fuck, Marco. I’m out for the World Championship.”  
  
The blond was shocked. “No! I’m so sorry for you. That’s not fair.” “Yeah, you can really share a room with Ilkay, I guess”, his boyfriend tried to joke. “Forget about it! I don’t want to hear it. And I don’t want to fly to Brazil without you.” Now Marco was desperate, too. But he pulled himself together, aware that he should console Mario now. “You are young, sunny. Younger than me. There will be more World Championships for you to play.” “Maybe… I’m miserable anyway”, the brunet stated. “I know. Me too. I’m on my way back home, where are you?” “Already there”, Mario said. “See you in a few minutes. I’ll be there for you”, the blond ended the call.

He needed more than a few minutes to return to their flat. First, he stopped his car to take a walk and some more deep breaths. Second, he stopped at a florist to buy a huge sunflower in a plant pot. When he arrived home, he found Mario sitting on the sofa, trying to hide that he has cried. But Marco knew his boyfriend better. He pulled him into his arms and on his shoulder without saying a word. The brunet sobbed for minutes, finally cleaning his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. “It’s okay, Marco, really. It’s important that I am here and I can tell you: I will never leave that easily again.” The blond smiled at him. “Have you bought a flower?”, Mario asked surprised. “Yeah, a sunflower. You know, I will be back before it’s withered, I promise. Just keep watering it.” Mario laughed. “I guess I would rather drown it.”

In the middle of the night, Marco asked his boyfriend: “Are you jealous because I am flying to Brazil and you have to stay here?” Mario thought about it. “No. I would only be jealous if you would share a room with André”, he confessed. “I won’t. I would never betray you”, the blond calmed him down. “Then everything is fine. Just go out and win the cup.” Marco caressed his boyfriend until both fell asleep again. Mario was the first to wake up the next morning. He felt ashamed, because he had lied to Marco. Yes, he _was_ jealous. But not because of the fact that the older one could play in the World Championship. He was jealous of all the other players that could spend so much time with Marco when he just won him back.


	24. Chapter XXIV - Farewell

Once again, both had to bid farewell. Mario was eased because Kevin was nominated for the World Championship, too, and he was going to share a room with Marco. Anyway, the sadness that he felt was clearly visible on his face when Kevin came over to pick the blond up for the airport. Marco hadn’t packed his suitcase yet (to be honest, they had made use of time in other ways) so Kevin walked with Mario to the small café near their flat. “You are upset, aren’t you?”, he asked the brunet. “Yeah. I’ll miss him”, Mario confessed. “I will take care of him, don’t worry. And remember: This is how _he_ felt when you left to Munich. With one difference: You will get him back in one month latest.” The brunet nodded. Kevin was right and he suddenly felt deeply embarrassed about himself. “I wish I could turn back time”, he stated. “You did it in a way. Come on, we’ll have to go back.”

This time it was Mario who had a little surprise for Marco. He gave him a small necklace with a shining sun on it. “I got your necklace so I wanted to gift you another one. You should have a little bit of ‘sunny’ with you in Brazil.” The blond hugged him firmly. “Thank you. I will guard it like gold.”

Marco and Mario talked each day via Skype during the World Championship. The brunet showed his boyfriend that the sunflower was in full bloom, to Marco’s great pleasure. Die Mannschaft won each match until the quarter final against Italy. It was hard for Mario to watch Marco and the others play, while he was thousands of kilometres away. After the last match in the group stage, the media conducted an interview with Marco and Mario could watch how the blond nestled the necklace out of his shirt. He was deeply stirred because of this small gesture. 

Two days before the match against Italy, Mario suddenly got a phone call. It was Oliver Bierhoff, the manager of the national team. “Hi Mario, how are you doing?” “I’m fine, thank you! Congratulations on the good tournament so far!” “Thank you, too! I have wondered… We will charter an airplane to Brazil for the quarter final to fly in the, eh, wives and girlfriends. Do you want to come with them? I mean, you are Marco`s significant other and still part of our team…” Mario jumped up and down. “Sure I will, thank you for asking me!” He could hear somebody giggle in the background. “Wait, Mario, there are two guys who want to talk to you, too.” The brunet got Kevin and André on the other end of the line. “Man, good that you are coming!”, Kevin laughed. “I’m sick and tired of Marco telling me every single hour how much he misses you”, he joked. André blended in. “Yeah, but we won’t tell him that you will fly over. Let’s make it a surprise!” Mario agreed gladly. “Good luck with all the chicks on board of your plane”, the two chuckled and ended the call.

One day later, Mario packed his suitcase, watered the sun flower once again and handled the key to their flat to his mother. The flight to Brazil was amusing. With all the women aboard, he felt like the only man on a hen party, but he liked it. Meanwhile, André and Kevin tried to convince Marco to go down with them to the hotel lobby to meet the women. “What shall I do there? And what do you want downstairs? There’s nobody waiting for us”, the blond said irritated. “Come on, let’s make fun of it”, Kevin stated. “I have asked Mesut’s girlfriend to buy some new albums for us”, André tried his luck. “But you could download the songs?”, Marco replied without understanding. Now Kevin put his foot down. “Get the fuck out of the bed and to the lobby with your best friends. We’ll gonna get a good show, I promise.” Marco sighed and gave in.

When the bus with the newcomers arrived, Marco was annoyed. Why should he watch all the girls coming in, kissing and hugging their partners? He got no clue and he was annoyed of Kevin and André, too. It came as he had expected: Soon the sound of kisses and whispered words filled the hotel lobby. He didn’t pay attention until André and Kevin almost simultaneously punched him in the side. His eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. In the middle of the hallway, unnoticed from all the others, stood the man he expected the least and wanted the most: Mario.


	25. Chapter XXV - Epilogue

“Man, don’t stand around”, Kevin said to Marco who was still stunned. Then Kevin walked over to Mario and he and André gave him high five. “Wait, you knew that he will come here?”, Marco finally came back to life. Both laughed, pushing Mario forward. “Come on, we won’t look closely”, their friends chuckled. The blond hugged his boyfriend and gave him a shy kiss. “It’s so good that you are here”, he whispered into his ear. “Yeah. It’s so good to be here”, Mario answered.

Kevin pulled André with him. “We’re not needed here anymore”, he smiled. “Marco, give me ten minutes and I will be out of our room.” The blond glanced at him surprised. “You know that you are snoring, don’t you? I can’t wait to have a good night of sleep again. You can share a room with him, I think he is used to the sounds you are making when you fall asleep.” Marco blushed and Mario laughed.

Oliver Bierhoff came over to meet him. “How was your flight?”, he asked the brunet. “You better not ask”, he grinned. The team manager handled him a bundle. “Here are your tickets for the next matches. I hope to see you for dinner.” And then the couple was finally alone. “Are you tired?”, Marco asked his boyfriend caringly. “Yes, the jetlag. But I should stay awake a few hours longer to get over it.” “That shouldn’t be a problem”, Marco smiled.  
  
 **Epilogue**  
  
Germany won the quarter final against Italy, but lost the half final against Brazil. Four years later, the Germans finally became the World Champions, with many credits to Mario and Marco; the latter acting as Germany’s new skipper. They lived their life like an ordinary couple and went through ups and downs together. Marco still played for Dortmund and won the national championship with his team two times in a row. Mario was with Leverkusen and leaded them to one championship, too. The brunet was able to give Marco all the care back when the blond suffered from a cruciate rupture. He came back stronger than before, soon considered to be Dortmund’s idol.  
  
Both _had_ made history: They had been the pioneers for many other players, especially the youngsters. Even some of the retired ones finally had the courage for their coming-out. Gay football players still weren’t something “normal” for a few people, but nobody talked about them much and faked girlfriends were something from the past: The moment Mario had shown up in Brazil has marked the turn.  
  
Five years after Mario’s return to Dortmund, Marco got dressed for one of the most important days of his life once again. But this time, Mario stood next to him in front of the mirror, putting on a suit. “You’re looking good”, the blond murmured in a déja-vu, his eyes sparkling. “So do you” was the whispered reply.  
  
Kevin and Fabian came over to drive them to the town hall of Dortmund. A smiling reporter was waiting in front of the building. But unless to earlier times, there was no interview to be conducted. In fact, both didn’t have to speak much. There were just three words left to say: “Yes, I will.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's it - this story is written and told, there's nothing left to say. :-)
> 
> I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, kudos and comments. I loved your feedback!
> 
> For me, this fanfic has reached its end now but I think I will soon come back with another one. ;-)
> 
> The story not only turned out to be very much longer than expected but also some kind of cheesy in the end. But I think it should have a real big happy-ending and that's what came out. 
> 
> XXX


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